Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer (NSW : 1845 - 1860), Saturday 6 November 1858, page 2


Tlie continuation of our " Review of The Racing Season" must unavoidably stand over til next week, in consequence of tho more than ordi-nary pressure and variety ol interesting news, Thc two matches over the Goulburn course or Thursday, and that over the same ground to-day have created no little interest in town during thc week. The result of the two first was telegraphed to us immediately on their determination, as ap-pears above. i'he Gundagai Annual Meeting would appear to have passed off with a fair amount of sport, although no one of thc several events calls for special mention.

A meeting of the Liverpool Turf Club is con-vened for 3.30 p.m. this day, for the purpose cf appointing a Secretary " vice" Mr Beresford re-signed, and other important business, amongst which we trust to sec a resolution to liquidate the long-standing claims of thc sporting press take precedence.

We invite attention to the alteration in thc day of the sale by Mr Burt of Mr McGowan's valu-able thorough-bred stock, viz., from the 18th January to Monday, the 10th of that mouth.

We give below the handicap for thc great event on the third day of the approaching Victoria Turf Club Meeting, received by electric telegraph, as likewise the comments and forcshadowings of "Ob-server" thereon in thc columns of our Victorian contemporary. The 9 stone put upon Mariner has taken his sporting owners here not a little aback, and wc are at a loss to guess by what ab-struse method of calculation so preposterous a weight was arrived at. . Surely not from his posi-tion ianthe Trial^Stakes nt the late Jockey Club Meeting, when for the same distance Wood-pecker at thc top specified weight beat thc Syd-ney colt " easily .(nccording to thc "Melbourne Herald") by a little over a length". .

" Observer", it will bc seen, alludes to thc uncertainty of Woodpecker's running-"never running in the same form' for two consecutivo months" ; hut surely this opinion, though doubt-less entitled to respect, ought not to have been allowed to influence the handicapping. Again, thc "premature confidence" in Mariner expressed " on the part of the early birds" MAY have ope-rated to his disadvantage. All we can say is that there exists an equal probability, or rather an equal probability should ha vd been supposed to «exist, of thc Sydney colt, after his late severe racing, falling off at least, in an equal ratio with Woodpecker, and he was certainly entitled to equal consideration with the victorious grey. However, while on tho score of liberality we have no ac-knowledgment to make to thc Victoria Turf Club, we are by no menus daunted, mid by a message re-ceived yesterday from Iliggersnn, Mariner is re-ported lo bc ni magnificent condition, and in Johnny's opinion sufficiently up to the mark for the struggle. That it will be a desperate struggle may confidently bc expected, but we as con-fidently expect to soc the Sydney horse take precedence of both his previous conquerors, Wood-pecker and Blink Bonnie, and fully retrieve, his fallen fortunes. "

Mr G. T. Kown leaves Sydney lin- Mclbojine by the " London" this afternoon, and he cares with him out best wishes for his success. I

Wc perceive by advertisement that it is roposed to raffle for the racehorse " Huntsman;-at the Róyal Hotel on Saturday next, at 3 p.m.1 nt a subscription of £1 Is each, and wc sro infortiod that only a few tickets remain undisposed of; Huntsman is a powerful dark unyielding vi th black points, bred by Mr M'Gowan1in 7850, md is by Waverley out of Jessie, the dim of Sports-man, Samson, Jessina. &c. j -

The handsome ehtire, " Clarcn'o", by Ether, ont of Lady 'Theresa, is to be rafflil for at Tnttersall's this evening1, VIDE advertisment.

Thc following ure'thc remarks of' Observer":

Tho stewards have certainly issued n inst liberal pro. gramme.' offering vary ampio prizes to th owner* of tho host horses in the country"} and if the l«,or do not on this ocoasion contend for them like sporisrrin, it may sug-gest itself to futuro stewards tlmt snmoplan may ho adopted which will insitro tho enjoyment i, good racing to the public. This must be admitted, thc if mir best horses do not all, or most of thom, contest thee races best suitod to their respective gifts, it will not'io from any want of liberality on the part of the Turf (jib, lint from tho necessity of widening the field of compel ion; and if t wore asked how this can bo done, X have thjrcmody in

two words-" Make hnndicans".

I most sincerely hope that we sholl have god fields for tho principal events ¡ and it'seems to me vty prohahlo that tho weight-for-ago system will have a verymccnssful trial on the present occasion, swing thnt. tho IM Sydney cracks, Gratis and Mariner, remain hero to ollsnvnr to

redeem their lost laurels; and 1 havn hoard liirois somo likelihood that lion Holt maybe induced to payis a visitr in which case public interest would bc greatly lightened and tao rosult would bo awaited with much anxiety liy tho sporting-world. Maay good judges belied, thnj^jn November tho Sydney horses will a|ipcnrvto g-eatcr'ndvnntago than they did three weeks since. I ili^fe this" ls highly probable but . as I am quite satisfied thathcy did their best in their previous essays, I shall rather nticipate a falling off in their competitors from our >ddo,han anygroat improvement upon tho pnblio form show, by Air Kowo's horses on the occasion of their recent defet.

Bot it may he asked where aro tho Victoria', horst's who will again boar away tho palm from tho Sydne nags? Shall I answer vaguely, " Tin field will benthem"? What does tho fit-Id consist of ? I am sorry to »y that " thc field" of racehorses in Victorin is smalt inved nt tho present moment. Let yonr readers not decoivrthomsolvos with any vnguo rodin nco that ''tho field ls allays a goodhorso". There is no rulo without somo excotion, and ono rncehorso cnn heat fifty fields nf donkoysln ns many consecutivo hours. It will bo moro to the pont to ask ourselveaci iticnlly in what ourstruttgth is to bo fundí I om afraid wo have now but ono Rood thrco-rnilé ou tho turf-Alice Hawthorn; and tho example made ri her by Veno in last October must prevent our bcingvnry swcot nu tho old maro. I place no reliance on Othob or Hod Rover for this distance, and as Cardinal Wisenatt and Tomboy aro now hort d<¡ combat, it appears tonio thnt atthrcö miles wc should be beaten, were, it not hat tho long journey of tho mooting will bo under wjter weights, which will bo all In favor nf tho venerable Aice. At two miles, tho distance of thc Victoria .Plato and thc Grand Stand Stakes, wo havo Woodpecker, tindntihully tho best horse which ran nt tho last meeting; but this i|d. gentleman is so uncertain, novor running in the sama fem tor two consecutivo months, that ho ts scarcely to he cliod upon. At this distance we have also Ked Kovtr, Wait-a-while, Blink Bonny, and Maid of tho Mill. Wo not be'ieve that cither of tho Sydney horses cnn male n two milo raco a certainty against any ono of thoso, nm I expect to seo cither of tho two mares, if they run, hive tho Mariner astern, and givo old ttratis his race for iothing, letting him just:save his'stako. At a milo and thr.eqtmrters, wo must rely upon tho same fivo to find us mo to best thc Sydney colt, and I apprehend their task woild be "moro difficult at this distance wore it not thnt tie weights in the spring stakes, aro moro unfavorable to foirycar-olda than in cither of tho races at two miles. I leave ont of tho question our three-year olds, becausi, firstly, thc scale of woights for agc is against youri; ones in, all the races ; and secondly, because I do not htlicvo any of the Derby nags ate sufiiciontly up to tho mart to race with old horses of a superior class.

Thu entlies tnfce placo on Tuesday next, nm] I shnll dc myself the plcnsnro of scribbling my anticipations in lime for your next number, after I have well scanned tho nomi-nations nnd tho probabilities which surround tho various candidates. I nm happy to seo that the Turf Club have resolved on having tine (jtuoat Handicap" Race, and 1 expect that a vory large field will come forward for this rich stako \ I. hear that Mariner ia already backed at very" short odds to win this race, »ml I tliluk ti aooa not nugnrwcWWlhiv colt's chañen th«t bis owner is likely to be anticipated in the market, so that on his arrival ho may have lo get his money on at 0 to 4. or not nt all I am no friend to turf manouvres in general, but I cannot bianic-the owner of n racehorse who refuses to run him for timbare stnko, know-ing well that even with great success, tho stakes nlono will never pay fur tho risk and expense of training. I nm hero, of course, only judging of probabilities, according to tho way of tho world.and i do not presumo to know what eflVct this premature confidence on tho part of tho " early birds" may have upon Mariner's futuro movements.